Knitting machine



May 12, 1931. M. c. MILLER KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 7, 1924LVVE/VTOK W MM 7 Patented May 12, 1931 PATENT OFFICE MAX C. MILLER, 01CUMBERLAND, RHODE ISLAND KNITTING MACHINE Application filed April 7,

The invention relates to knitting machines and more particularly tomeans for feeding or presenting the yarn to the needles in such manneras to produce plated fabric, that is, fabric in which the face is of onecolor or character of yarn while the back is of another color orcharacter of yarn.

The invention provides simple and positively acting plating devicesWhich ensure accurate and uniform plating and which are also welladapted for the production of accurate and clear design plating. Whilenot confined in its application thereto, the invention is particularlywell adapted for spring 16 needle machines and will be further explainedin connection with its application to a machine of this type. I

In accordance with this application or embodiment of the invention, twoyarns are fed to devices which determine their relative positions, oneabove the other, when engaged by the sinkers which sink them between theneedles while held in the relation determined by the positioningdevices. To minimize the reeving of the yarns over the positionindevices as well as over the sinkers, it is esirable that the sinkerssuccessively and progressively sink the yarns as they are laid inposition one above the other across the needles by the yarn feedingguides and positioning devices and this is a feature of the invention.

To prevent rolling of the yarns in the hooks of the needles after.having been properly positioned and sunk which would result in reversingthe correct plating action, the invention contemplates the use of aspring needle having its beard and shank relatively arranged to preventsuch displacement of the yarns. This result is secured by arranging thefront line of the shank from the eye to the hook parallel to the needleaction and also parallel to the line of the beard from the beard bulgeto the hook and separated therefrom by a space small enough to preventone yarn rolling over, the other. The parallehsm is important in that itavoids the release of the tension on the yarn between the needles andsinkers as the needle draws 6 down which would otherwise occur and whichwould be likely to interfere with the accuracy of the plating action,articularly in design plating wherein the re ative positions of theyarns are reversed at different points in the knitting.

In the drawings an embodiment of the invention is illustrated somewhatdiagrammatically applied to a circular spring needle machine of thattype in which the needles are independently and successivelyreciprocated and in which independently reciprocating and progressivelyacting sinkers, pressers and web holders cooperate with the needles.Figure 1 is a dia ammatic plan view of the yarn guides and nittingelements; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic elevation corresponding to Fig. 1;Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of so much of the machine as isnecessary to illustrate the application of the present inventionthereto; Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are views on lines 44, 5-5, 66 and 77,respectively, of Figs. 1 and 2, showing the positions of the parts atdifferent points in the knitting; Fig. 8 shows on an enlarged scale apiece of design knitted fabric having a one and one stripe; Fi 9 is adetail view of one of the needles and Tig. 10 is a detail perspectiveview on an enlarged scale of a preferred form of sinker.

The machine illustrated is provided with a rotary needle cylindergrooved in the usual manner for the spring needles 2 and is alsoprovided with pressers 3, web holders 4 and sinkers 5 carried by thedial 6 which is -se cured to the upper end of the needle cylinder. Asinker cam ring 7 mounted above the sinkers is held from rotation in theusual manner and carries the cams for advancin and retracting the webholders, pressers an sinkers. For a more complete disclosure of thismechanism, reference may be had to the inventors application Serial No.631,071, filed April 10, 1923, showing a similar arrangement of the webholders, pressers and sinkers, and further illustrating successive stepsin the cooperative movements of these parts in knitting yarn into thefabric loops. The patent to Swinglehurst No. 1,151,418, dated August 24,1915, provides a disclosure in the prior art of separate web holder,sinker 100 and presser elements cooperating with the spring beardneedles, and cams for operating these elements which would indicate toone skilled in the art the manner in which cams for operating theseelements could be readily mounted in the machine. A stationary bed plate8 is supported above the needle cyliner by rods 9 and a gear 10 ismounted on the bed plate and is driven in unison with the needlecylinder. A depending cylinder 11 is secured to the gear and is groovedto carry and guide a series of vertically movable yarn controllers. Fora more detailed description of the construction and arrangement of thedepending cylinder and its actuating mechanism, reference may be had tothe British patents to Bevins et al., No. 300,067, complete secification accepted November 8, 1928 and piers, No. 252,987, acceptedJune 10, 1926, which disclose substantially the construc tion of thepresent application. The controllers are in the form of slides 12mounted in the grooves to normally slide parallel with the needles andare provided with butts 13 adapted to be acted upon by cams 14 and 15which are supported from the cam ring 7. Spring bands 18 and 19 hold theslides within the grooves. At times, as hereinafter explained, theslides are acted upon by a cam 16 carried by the support for cams 14 and15 and causing the slides to rock on the point 12A against theresistance of the springs 18 and thereby withdraw the lower ends of theslides from between the needles. With this construction and operation ofthe depending cylinder 11, it will be seen that each of the slides 12 ispermanently aligned or centered to move in the space embraced between hesame two adjacent needles, thus insuring an efficient and certaincooperation of these eh ments with the needles and their cooperatingknitting elements.

The yarns are fed to the needles through yarn guides 20A and 21A soarranged that the am 20 is fed against the shanks of the needles inadvance of and higher than the yarn 21. For convenience, the yarn 20 isindicated as a black yarn and the yarn 21 as a white yarn.

The lower end of each controller slide is rovided with two outwardlprojectin ngers, the lower and upper edges of which form the yarnengaging surfaces 22, 22A. 22B and 22C for determining the relativepositions of the yarns when acted upon by the sinkers. The slides arenormall. in such position that the yarn 20 is fed a ove and the yarn 21below the upper finger, as indicated with relation to the slides YY inFig. 2. If the slides remain in this position, this relation between theyarns will be maintained and a plated fabric will be knit. Any selectedslide or slides may be actuated, however. to reverse the relation of theyarns so that the high yarn 20 will be fed low and the low yarn 21 fedhigh, thus changing the plating yarn which appears on the face of thefabric and producing design plating.

The means for selecting or sorting the yarn positioning sides and thusdetermining the design produced may be of any suitable or well knowncha'racter such, for instance, as a selecting wheel of the usual typearranged to act on the butts of the slides in advance of the yarn feedsand raise certain of the slides out of the normal level. In Fig. 2 everyalternate two slides are raised while the intermediate two slides YYremain at the normal level. This will give a two and two stripe insteadof the one and one stripe shown in Fig. 8 which would be produced byraising alternate slides instead of every alternate two slides.

The mode of operation, assuming the yarn positioning slides to beselected or sorted, as indicated in Fig. 2, is as follows: The upperyarn 20 is fed in advance of the lower yarn 21 so that it comes incontact with the shanks of the needles while 21 is still some distanceaway from the shanks, as indicated in Fig. 1. The yarn positioningslides are sorted at the position indicated at S, Fig. 2, by the selecting mechanism which, as above indicated, may be of any suitablecharacter. In the preferred embodiment of the invention hereindisclosed, a sorting wheel indicated somewhat diagrammatically at 25 inFig. 2, has been provided for this purpose. The butts of the selectedslides X which are raised by the sorting mechanism from the normal levelcome to the cam surface A of the cam 14 which raises them so that theiryarn engaging surfaces 22 are brought into position above the height ofthe yarn 20 before this yarn engages the shanks of the needles. Furtherrotation of the machine brings this yarn 20 against the needle shanksbelow the surfaces 22 of the selectedslides and above the surfaces 22Bof the non-selected slides Y (Fig. 3). Further rotation causes the buttsof the selected slides to go down cam surface B of cam 15 so that theirsurfaces 22 carry the yarn 20 below the height at which the am isfeeding while the yarn 21 is stil so far away from the shanks of theneedle that he lower fingers of the slides XX will not engage it (Figs.1 and 4). Further rotation causes the butts of the selected slide X totravel along the part B of the cam and by the time they reach camsurface C of the cam 14, the yarn 21 will have come so close to theneedle shanks that as the selected slides ride up the cam surface C,their yarn engaging surfaces 22A will raise the yarn 21 to the highposition and at the same time the yarn 20 which was abnormally low willbe permitted to come up to the normal position of the low yarn (Figs. 5and 6). Thus, by the time the butts of the selected slides have reachedthe top of cam surface C, the yarn 20 which would normally feed high,has been made the low yarn on the selected slides and the yarn 21 whichwould normally feed low has-been made the high yarn on these slides,while on the non-selected slides Y both yarns are fed at their normalheights. After the selected slides X have been raised by the cam surface0, the sinkers 5 move in between the needles to sink the yarnpositioned'by the slides and these sinkers are provided with humps 5A(Fig. 10), which lie between the yarns and maintain them in properrelation during the travel of the butts of the slides along the level C'of the cam 14; As the sinkers come in to sink the yarn, the yarnengaging fingers of the yarn positioning" slides are withdrawn frombetween the needles by the cam 16, as indicated in Fig. 7. After thefingers have been withdrawn, the butts of the selected slides are actedupon by the cam surface D of the cam 15' which restores them to thenormal level ready-"to be sorted into either a selected or non-selectedslide some time previous to the next feed. After the sinkers have beenmoved in to sink the yarn, the needles are drawn down in the usualmanner to the pressing position indicated at W in Fig. 2. In thisposition their opening N P (Fi 9) has engaged the yarns 20 and 21 so tat they cannot roll out of proper position forthe reasons heretoforeindicated. There is no danger therefore,"that in the further drawingdown and casting oil of the loops, the high yarn may become the low orthe low yarn may become the high and the accuracy of the plating inaccordance with the selected positioning of the yarns determined by thepositioning devices is ensured. The sinkers are then withdrawn, the endsof the beards pressed into the eyes of the needles and the downwardmovement of the needles continued to complete the formatiori of theloops.

The needle, as shown in 'Fi 9, is provided with a front line M para lelwith the back line of the shank or with the vertical movement of theneedle, the thinning to the hook size wire being on the back so that thefront line from the beard receiving eye to the'hook is a continuation ofthe front line M of the shank-and is arallel to the movement' of theneedle. he line of the heard from the hook P to the point N-where thebulge of the beard begins is arallel to the front line forming thespace'2 of a uniform width to prevent the rolling of the yarns as theypass up into the hook after the needle has been drawn down to thepressin point.

The clearness and shagpness of t e plating action securedis clearlyillustrated in Fig. 8i In this view the loops X are needle loops formingthe needle wales and the loops Y are sinker loops forming the sinkerwales. Since with the construction described the yarns are caused tocross each other when reversin on the needles, as at X, these crossingsare idden by subse uently knitted courses so that in the actual fabricthe bars Z of the loops effectively cover the points of crossing. Withthis one'and one stripe the yarn 20 will appear on the surface of thefabric along every other sinker wale while the yarn 21 will appear onthe surface along the: intermediate sinker wale, the crossings of theyarns occuring on every needle. By change and variation in thedistribution of the selected \yarn positioning slides which cause theyarn 20 to knit low instead of high, either of the yarns may be made toappear on the face of the fabric in any selected number of wales and forany selected number of courses in accordance with the design which is toappear on the face of the fabric.

While in the embodiment shown and specifically described the inventionis applied to a circular independent spring needle machine, variousfeatures of the invention are capable ofmore general application and maybe embodied with advantage in other types of machines such, forinstance, as flat machines or machines in which the needles are notindependently actuated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, meansincluding thread guides for feeding two separated yarns, and sinkers forprogressively sinking the yarn between the needles, of additionaldevices acting on the yarns to position them one .above the other inadvance of the sinking point.

2. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, meansincluding yarn feeding guides for feeding two separated yarns, andsinkers for pro essively sink-ing the yarns between the nee les, ofadditional yarn engaging devices between the. needles, and means foractuating said devices to'position the yarns one above the other inadvance of the sinking oint.

3. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, meansincluding yarn feeding guides for feeding two separated yarns, andsinkers for progressively sinking the yarns between the needles, .ofadditional yarn engaging devices between the needles, and means foractuating said devices-to position the yarns one above the other inadvance of the sinking point and to reverse the relative positions ofthe yarns across a selected needle or needles.

4. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, meansincluding yarn feeding guides for feeding two separated yarns, andsinkers for progressively sinking the yarns between the needles, ofadditional yarn engaging devices between the needles,-

and means for actuating said devices to relatively position the yarns inadvance of the sinking point and to reverse their positions acrossselected needles.

5. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, means forfeeding two separated yarns, and sinkers for progressively sinkingtheyarns between the needles, of devices acting on the yarns to positionthem one above the other and present them to the sinkers, and means forwithdrawing the devices from operating position as the sinkers engagethe yarns.

6. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, means forfeeding two separated yarns, and sinkers for progressively sinking theyarns between the needles, of yarn engaging devices between the needlesfor relatively positioning the yarns and presenting them to the sinkers,means for actuating said devices to reverse the relative positions 2 ofthe yarns across a selected needle or needles,

and means for withdrawing the devices as the yarns are engaged by thesinkers.

7. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, means forfeeding two separated yarns, yarn positioning devices separate from thesaid feeding means for determining the relative positions of the twoyarns, and sinkers for sinking the yarns bet-ween the needles havingmeans for maintaining) them in the relative positions determined y thepositioning devices.

8. In a nitting machine the combination with the needles, means forfeeding two separated yarns, yarn positioning devices separate from thesaid feeding means for determining the relative positions of the twoyarns. and sinkers for sinking the yarns between the needles havin humpson their sinking surfaces arranged to lie between the positioned yarns.

9. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, means forfeeding two separated yarns, yarn positioning devices acting on theyarns between the needles to determine the relative positions of theyarns, sinkers for progressively sinking the yarns between the needleshaving means for maintaining them in the relative positions determinedby the positioning devices, and means for disengaging the positionindevices as the yarns are en aged bv the sin 'crs.

10. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, means forfeeding two separated yarns including yarn feeding guides, separateIyarn positioning devices for determining t erelative positions of theyarns, sinkers for sinking the positioned yarns between the needles, andspring needles to which the yarns are presented having their shanks andbeards relatively arranged to prevent relative displacement of the yarnspresented thereto.

11. In a circular knitting machine the combination with a circularseries of needles and sinkers, of guides for feeding two yarns 'teoafoooat different heights, and separate yarn positioning devices fordetermining the relative positions of the yarns when engaged by thesinkers.

12. In a circular knitting machine the combination with a circularseries of needles and sinkers, of means for feeding two yarns atditl'erent heights, yarn positioning devices separate from the saidfeeding means for determining the relative positions of the yarns whenengaged by the sinkers, and mechanism for actuating the positioningdevices to reverse the relation of the yarns to each other.

13. In a circular knitting machine the combination with a circularseries of needles and sinkers, of means for feeding two yarns atdifferent heights, yarn positioning devices for determining the relativepositions'of the yarns when engaged by the sinkers, and mechanism foractuating the )ositioning devices to reverse the relation oi the yarnsto each other over a selected needle or needles.

14. In a circular knitting machine the combination with a circularseries of needles and sinkers, of means for feeding two sepa ratedyarns, yarn engaging devices between the needles for determining therelative positions of the yarns when engaged by the sinkers, and meansfor act-uatin engaging devices selected in advance of the eed to reversethe positions of the yarns presented to the sinkers.

15. In a circular knitting machine the combination with. a circularseries of needles, sinkers mounted between the needles, yarn guides forfeeding two yarns at difl'erent heights, yarn engaging devices mountedbetween the needles for determining the relative positions of the yarnswhen eng ed by the sinkers, and means for actuating t e selected yarnengaging devices to reverse the positions of the yarns presented to thesinkers.

16. In a knitting machine the combination with a needle support,independently movable needles in the support, a second support near thehook end of the needles, means including yarn feeding guides for feedingtwo separated yarns to the needles, separate yarn positioning devicesmounted in the second support to engage theyarns, and means foractuating the positioning devices to alter the relative positions of thetwo arms.

17. In. a knitting machine the combination with a grooved needlecylinder, independently movable needles mounted in the grooves of saidcylinder :1 second grooved cylinder above the needlecylindcr, yarnpositioning devices mounted in'thc grooves of the second cylinder. meansfor feeding two separated yarns, and means for actuating the positioningdevices to reverse the relative positions of the yarns across selectedneedles.

18. In a knitting machine the combinat on with the needles, of devicesfor positioning the yarn with relation to the needles each pro videdwith two spaced yarn positioning lid gers, means for feeding yarns oneabove and the other below one series of fingers, and means for actuatingselected devices to position the upper yarn below and the lower yarnabove the other fingers of the selected devices and to bring thesefingers into line with the yarn positioning fingers of the unselecteddevices.

19. In a knitting machine the combination with the needles, of yarnpositioning devices each provided with spaced yarn positioning fingers,means for feeding yarns one above and one below the upper fingers, meansfor actuating selected devices to position the upper yarn below and thelower yarn above t e ow'er fingers of the selected devices, and to bringthese fingers into line with the upper fingers of the unselecteddevices.

20. In a knitting machine the combination of spring needles, meansincluding yarn feeding guides for feeding two separated yarns separate,devices acting on the yarns to position them one above the other inadvance of the sinking point, and progressively acting sinkers acting tosink and retain the yarns between the needles until the yarn enters thehook portions of the needles.

21. In a knitting machine the combination of sprin needles, meansincluding yarn feeding gui es for feeding two separated yarns separate,devices acting on the yarns to position them one above the other inadvance of the sinking point, and progressively actuated sinkers actingto sink and hold the yarns between the needles until their books aresubstantially at the sinking level.

22. In an independent needle knitting machine the combination of needlesand coopcrating elements to form knitted fabric, yarn feeding guides forfeeding a plurality of yarns to the said elements in plated relation,and additional devices permanently centered between the needles actingon the yarns between the said guides and the needles to position theyarns for reverse plating.

23. In an independent needle knitting machine the combination of needlesand cooperating knitting elements for forming knitted fabric, yarnfeeding means including yarn guides for feeding yarns to the saidelements in plated relation, and additional devices acting upon theyarns at a point between the yarn guides and the needles and in advanceof the knitting wave to position the said yarns for reverse plating.

2A. In a circular independently operated needle knitting machine, meansfor feeding two separated yarns in plated relationship to each other.and means operating between the yarn feeding position and the loopforming position for the purpose of causing a re versal of the yarns intheir feeding relationship to each other.

25. In a knitting machine the combination of progressively operatedneedles and cooping on the yarns form .lmitted fabric including meansfor kinking the yarn about the needle shanks, means including yarnfeeding guides for feeding two separated yarns, and devices permanentlycentered between the needles for altering the position of the yarns toreverse plate before the yarn is kinked about the needle shanks.

26. In a knitting machine the combination with progressively operatedneedles, means for feeding two separated yarns, means including threadguides for feeding two separated yarns, and means for progressivelycrating elements to kinking the yarns about the needle shanks,

of yarn engaging devices between the neodles for relatively positioningthe yarns for said kinking means, means for actuating said devices toreverse the relative positions of the yarns across a selected needle orneedles, and means for withdrawing the devices as the yarns are kinkedabout the needles.

27. In a circular knitting machine, the combination of needles, a needlecylinder in which the needles are supported for independent movement,yarn feeding means including yarn guides for feeding yarns in platedrelation to the needles, means rotating in unison with the needlecylinder for at times acting on one of the yarns to cause a reversal ofthe relationship of the yarn to the other yarn or yarns for the purposeof presenting the yarns to certain of the needles in one relationshipand to other needles in a reversed relationship to each other for thepurpose of reverse plating.

28. In a circular knitting machine the combination of a needle cylinderwith independently operated needles therein to which yarns are presentedin plated relationship, and elements rotating in unison with the needlesand capable of at all times operating between the needles and adapted byengagement with the yarns to cause a reversal of the normal platingrelationship of the threads to each other "for the purpose of reverseplating.

29. In an independent needle knitting machine, the combination of aseries of needles, yarn feeding means including yarn guides .for feedingyarns to the said elements in plated relation, and additional devicespermanently centered between the needles actbetween the yarn guides andthe fabric before the said yarns are formed into loops by the needlehooks to position the yarns for reverse plating.

30. That process of producing lengthwise stripes in plating knittingupon a series of independent needles comprising feeding two yarns in aplating relation to said series of independent needles and knitting themin said relation at certain wales to produce normal plating, and atother predetermined wales causing a separate independently movableinstrumentality for each of sai other predetermined wales, to movetransversely of and between adjacent needles of said wales and therebyto enter between and separate the said two yarns and to move the backingyarn into a position Where it will appear at the face of the fabric,thereby producing reverse plating at said other predetermined wales.

31. That process of producing lengthwise stripes in plating knitting,comprising feeding two yarns in a plating relation to a series ofneedles and knitting them in said relation at certain wales to producenormal plating, and at other predetermined wales causing a separateinstrumentality permanently centered between the adjacent needles foreach of said other predetermined wales to move transversely of andbetween said adjacent needles, and thereby to enter between and separatethe said two yarns-and to move the backing yarn into a position where itwill appear at the face of the fabric, thereby producing reverse platingat said other predetermined wales.

32. That process of producing lengthwise stripes in plating knitting,comprising feeding two yarns in a plating relation to a series ofneedles and knitting them in said relation at certain wales to producenormal plating, and at other predetermined wales causing a separateinstrumentality permanently centered between the adjacent needles foreach of said other predetermined wales to move transversely of andbetween said adjacent needles and thereby to enter between and separatethe said two yarns and to push the backing yarn into a position where itwill appear at the face of the fabric, thereby producing reverse platingat said other predetermined wales.

33. In a knitting machine, the combination with knitting devicescomprising a series of needles and co-operatfilg knitting elements, ofyarn feeding guides for feeding separated dvarns to said knittingdevices, and devices a ditional to the said cooperating knittingelements and yarn guides permanently centered between the needles forprogressively controlling the yarns in plating relation.

34. In a knitting machine, the combination with knitting devicescomprising a series of needles and cooperating knitting elements, ofyarn feeding guides for feeding separated yarns to said knittingdevices, devices additional to the said cooperating knitting elementsand yarn guides permanently centered between the needles forprogressively positioning the yarn in plating relation, and selectingmeans for causing certain of said additional devices to reverse theplating position of the yarns.

35. In an independent needle knitting machine, the combination of aseries of needles, yarn feeding means including yarn guides for feedingseparated yarns,

and devices permanently centered between the needles acting on thefabric loops to maintain a the f to position the said In testimony wname to this speci eeding yarns and arns between'the yarn guides and thefore the said MAX C. MILLER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORREC ION.

Patent No. 1,805,000. Granted May 12, 1931, to

MAX C. MILLER.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5,line 10, claim 19. strike out the words "yarn positioning" and alter theword "devices" insert for positioning the yarn with relation to theneedles; and that the said Letters Patent should he read with thesecorrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 18th day of August. A. D. 1931.

M. J. Moore. (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

